Biggest Sonic Improvement

I had to hear for myself what SACD sounds like, so I drove an hour to a dealer. It took less than 5 minutes to realize that SACD represents the biggest sonic improvement I've ever heard from a single change or am ever likely to hear--short of virtual reality. Over time, as the quality of SACD mastering improves, just as it did with 16/44.1 standard, we can expect wonders to be everyday occurances. Many early adopters describe their good fortune on audioreview.com. In my own system, it would have to be going from stock cords to custom powercords--proving that cords are components too.

High-end tubes from high-end solid-state. Absolutely! Tubes aren't perfect, but their benefits outweight their minor drawbacks.

When I changed a Conrad-Johnson DR-1 to my Mark Levinson No. 37 I noticed a steep difference.

replacing my CD player with a Wadia 860.

LISTEN UP, B&W OWNERS: you bought some really nice 801's or 802's, and you love the way they sound. Now, if you want to hear how good they can really sound, go to the web site of North Creek Music and buy their replacement crossovers. You don't know how much better your speakers can sound, but I do, because I just bought some for my 802's. WOW! Rest of my system: Cal ICON MkII Power Boss, CD player, Bryston BP-25 preamp, BAT VK-200 power amp, lots of expensive wire. The music is trapped inside those crappy B&W Xovers, just waiting to get out. Set the music free with North Creek Music mods. Simply incredible.